Travel · Facts & sources
5 sourced facts about travel and tourism, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answer1.4 billion
That is about 11% more than in 2023 and virtually the same as in 2019, marking a full recovery from the pandemic slump.
Source: UN Tourism, World Tourism Barometer (January 2025) (2024) pre-webunwto.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com
AnswerHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
Atlanta kept the top spot, followed by Dubai and Dallas Fort Worth. The top 10 airports together handled about 855 million passengers.
Source: Airports Council International (ACI World) (2024) aci.aero
AnswerMiddle East, 32% above 2019
The Middle East was the best-performing region, while Asia and the Pacific was still about 13% below its 2019 arrivals.
Source: UN Tourism, World Tourism Barometer (January 2025) (2024) pre-webunwto.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com
Answer6% (116.9 million travelers)
Premium international travel grew 11.8% in 2024. The Middle East had the highest premium share, at 14.7% of travelers.
Source: IATA, World Air Transport Statistics 2024 (2024) iata.org
Answerover 24 million
It was the highest yearly total in 50 years of available data, including 20.5 million passport books and 3.6 million passport cards.
Source: USAFacts, using U.S. State Department data (2023) usafacts.org